The Annandale Free Store was recognized by Centra Sota Cooperative and Cenex Aug. 27 for its work to help Minnesotan families in need.

This August marks the Free Store’s 20th anniversary of providing clothing, hygiene products, and household items for free. The store mimics a normal shopping experience in order to maintain the integrity of struggling families and provide them with much needed items. The store runs entirely on donations, in the form of financial gifts and the items that they use to stock their shelves.

As a part of the store’s recognition, Marlene Imholte, store manager, accepted a $5,000 grant from Centra Sota. She stated that “We are very excited to receive the grant for the Free Store from Centra Sota Co-op. This money helps us to pay rent for many months, allowing us to remain open to help people in need.”

The grant was made possible by funding through Cenex stores. Cenex has partnered with the Centra Sota Cooperative and with CHS, an organization that connects farmers worldwide, to honor good things being done in small towns around Minnesota. Mark Vanderlinde, communications manager for CHS, stated that, “The reason the grant opportunities exist is the Cenex locations are locally owned and operated, and the people who work there care a lot about their communities and make a huge difference in their towns.”

He encourages anyone who is interested in learning more about Cenex’s outreach to go to www.Cenex.com/Locations to find a local store.

The Free Store is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at various hours. For more information, please visit their Facebook page or call 320-274-8881. The store is happy to accept donations during their hours of operation.